I Was Told There Would Be Romance

Gr 7 Up–A rom-com for younger YA readers. Haitian American Fancy, 15, spends her days hanging out with her best friend, Tilly, following her crush Rahim, avoiding her schoolwork, and regularly visiting her school counselor’s office to talk about life. Her classmates assume she knows Voodoo when they learn she’s Haitian: “There are only two topics being discussed in the halls of Ellen Craft High—Imani’s party and the Voodoo witch.” Fancy is eager for an invite to the party, so when she discovers Tilly has a secret boyfriend and was invited to the exclusive event, she is upset enough to lie and say she also got an invite. But Imani will only invite Fancy if she has a boyfriend, so she makes a deal with Rahim: if he pretends to be her boyfriend, she will concoct a potion for him. Fancy has a humorous and relatable voice. Readers will be engaged in the unfolding of Fancy’s high jinks and invested in how she gets through them. The familiar fake-dating trope is done well here. Arnold addresses racial stereotyping, parental expectations, grief, and other heavy issues with a light hand. Fancy has a good relationship with both her parents and especially enjoys listening to murder podcasts with her mom; it’s nice to see a YA novel where the protagonist enjoys spending time with their parents.